Most cell and tissue types can be made and matured from embryonic stem cells (ESC's) as long as they're in the proper setting with appropriate chemical signals that allow them to differentiate into certain cell types, eventually constructing 3-dimensional tissue structures. But other forms of synthetic tissue matrices are now required in order for this kind of technology to flourish.

"Organ-specific extracellular matrices, properly prepared, are serving more and more as the appropriate structural scaffold for the recapitulation of a specific organ's tissues," said Peter C. Johnson, MD, Vice President of Research and Development for Avery Medical Products, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of Tissue Engineering. "This turns out to be especially true in an organ such as the lung, whose parenchyma must have a structure that accommodates atmospheric gas transmission as well as vascular, lymphatic and neural systems."

Cellular components were removed from natural lung tissue in order to make the natural growth matrix for ESC's. Making and using an acellular rat lung as a biological matrix "for differentiating ESC's into lung tissue" provided evidence of repopulation of the matrix, improved cell retention and differentiation into specific cell types within the lung. In addition, the development and maturation of of the cells into 3-dimensional complex tissues were reported, and according to researchers, lung tissue growth is progressing normally and is producing the correct chemical signals to continue development.

"We found that a combination of mechanical, enzymatic and physical processes provided the most efficient and gentle way to remove the cells from the underlying lung ECM without significant loss of collagen or elastin, the major components of the natural lung," the authors wrote. "The production and use of decellularized lung to support development of lung tissue may lead to design of better synthetic matrices for clinical use and to the eventual production of engineered lung tissues on matrices that are suitable for regenerative medicine purposes."

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